Here's to my Love
by TheBabeLebowski
Summary: Trader Johann's anticipated arrival brings many exotic wares to the Isle of Berk. One of these items captures the interest of most of the dragon riders. Only, it's not a weapon, nor a poison, nor even a new book about dragons. It's a flower. One shot, fluff, inspired by the word 'rose'.


_Hello! Here is another drabble fic inspired by a word. This time, it was the word **rose**_ **.** _I hope you like it! For those of you familiar wiht my work, I tend to emply drama in my stories. This time, I wanted to try something with some more comedy. Hopefully it turns out comedic. **If you would like a fic inspired by a word, be it fluff, smut, or general plot, send me a word to my inbox on or my Tumblr!**_

* * *

 **Here's to My Love**

"You know what? I'm done talking to you."

Astrid shoved away from the Meade Hall table, scraping the bench back with enough force to move Snotlout and Fishlegs back along with it. Her palms pressed flat against the wood on either side of her untouched meal, she glared at Hiccup with a wrinkled nose and twisted lip.

"What did _I_ do?!" Hiccup asked, throwing his arms into the air. "You're the one who brought it up!"

Astrid whirled around and stepped over the bench sloppily, cursing and muttering under her breath while the rest of the dragon riders stared at their food awkwardly.

"Where are you going? Don't leave like this, Astrid –" Hiccup yelled after her. But she stormed out of the Hall, shoving past people and disappearing out the Hall doors. When she was gone, Hiccup sank slightly, his eyes fallen upon his own meal and his appetite diminished. He rubbed his eyes and groaned while Fishlegs and Snotlout fixed the bench.

An awkward silence consumed the group as Hiccup moved his food around with his fingers. The only sound was the _cluck-cluck_ ing of Tuffnut's beloved chicken, who pecked at a lump of bread as if nothing was wrong in the world. He ruffled his tail feathers. Fishlegs wanted to say something, but Snotlout gave him a look. Tuffnut, on the other hand, couldn't take a hint.

"What was that all about?" he asked loudly. The riders all looked to Hiccup, who closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

"Just a… disagreement," he sighed.

"Shouldn't you go after her?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup took up his mug of mead and drank it down in one motion. When he finished, he wiped the back of his hand over his lips and cleared his throat.

"She needs her space," Hiccup replied simply, though he obviously wasn't happy about it. "She's been tense – she's not happy about being away from the Edge longer than we planned. But she'll come around. Don't worry about it."

The riders weren't convinced, but they moved onto another topic all the same.

"Trader Johann arrived this morning," Fishlegs said excitedly. "I can't wait to see what he has this time!"

"I'm hoping for a sword," Snotlout stated haughtily. He looked at his fingernails and picked at them while sneaking a peek at Ruffnut for a reaction. "A big one. You know, because the one I have right now is too light for me."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he chewed on a bit of yak meat. "It's iron. It's already pretty heavy."

"Well, it _was_ heavy," Snotlout admitted, snorting a laugh. "But since using it almost everyday at the Edge –" he looked to Ruffnut yet again, who groaned and rolled her eyes – "my muscles need more of a challenge."

He flexed his arms and Hiccup rolled his own eyes.

" _I_ was hoping for another map or two," Fishlegs interjected. "Maps of the mainlands Johann visits in the summer. Or a book about their cultures. You can never learn too much, they say, but I've already read all my books twice!"

When Fishlegs looked across the table to Ruffnut, much to Snotlout's jealousy, Hiccup abandoned his food and pushed from the table.

"Have fun at the docks," Hiccup sighed, frustrated and annoyed.

"You're not going?" Tuffnut asked with a mouth full of food.

"I don't really need anything," Hiccup mumbled. He left the rest of the riders to their meals, slowly leaving the Hall into the morning sunlight.

* * *

By the time the riders arrived to the docks to see Johann's wares, they were slightly dismayed at the sight of Astrid already inspecting the cargo. She had a heavy shield in her hands, and she weighed it and scrutinized the intricacy of the metalwork around the edges. But when she saw the other riders jump from the dock onto the boat, she put the shield down and rested her fists on her hips.

The twins were already running for whatever would help their service to Loki – rope, traps, snares, paint – while Fishlegs and Snotlout glared at each other while they separated off to separate parts of the boat.

So Hiccup didn't show up, Astrid noticed. Part of her felt satisfied, but another part of her felt… upset? She was still irritated with him (and herself because of her outburst, though admitting that wasn't really an option). Trader Johann emerged from his cabin with a small crate in his hands. When he saw the bustle of newcomers, he overflowed with delight.

"More of my favourite customers!" he cried gleefully, setting the crate down carefully. The rest of the riders looked up from their explorations and all greeted him. "I was just grabbing something from my private stores that I thought would interest you all! Gather around!"

Everyone ran up to Johann while Astrid casually strolled over, her arms crossed and her expectations low. Johann retrieved the small crate he had carried out with him and opened the lid slowly, as if something alive was inside. The group all leaned forward, holding their breaths. Even the chicken, who was poised on Tuffnut's helmet, leaned forward, but only out of his birdlike carelessness and not because he possessed any sort of intrigue.

Johann reached in and lifted a jar from the crate. Pieces of straw clung to the bottom of it and flittered to the ground after Johann brushed the item clean.

It was one of the more interesting things Astrid had ever seen. She glared at it, trying to make sense of it. To her, she could see through the jar, as if it was made of clear ice. Within it stood a bizarre, foreign flower, propped up delicately with small sticks. Its stem was thorny and a faded green while the top was of a deep blood-red hue. The petals were closely gathered together, soft and wistful. She cocked her head to the side slightly, confused.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Oh, the story is one of wonder and majesty!" Johann gasped.

"Is it the short version?" Snotlout asked, eager to learn about the flower and less about Johann's travels.

Johann paused, then shrugged slightly, disappointed in the lack of interest, but enthusiastic all the same. He stared into the jar dramatically, as if his love was trapped inside. "I was sailing south, far further than the routes upon any of my maps, when I came across this strange land. They desired some of my northern wares – books and maps especially – and proceeded to trade them for peculiar items. Every other island I visited afterwards traded their wares for those. This one is the last that I possess, and is by far the most magnificent and beautiful."

"Yeah, but what is it?" Astrid asked again.

"Yeah?" Snotlout added.

"Well, this is the most fascinating part – this land has invented something called 'glass', caused by boiling sand at near-impossible temperature until it melts. Then, their artisans formed and polished this glass into this case. And inside is a rose plucked from the garden of their leader."

"A rose?" Ruffnut asked.

"Berk is too north to grow such flowers of the same beauty," Johann continued, "but this rose is supposedly a symbol of love and passion. To give it to the one you love is an incredible demonstration of your devotion. The people say that if kept in this case, the rose shall be preserved to last the life-long relationship of those who own it."

Everyone voiced their sudden awe and appreciation for the flower, save for Ruffnut and Astrid.

"Wait, you mean this thing is proof of love and devotion?" Astrid asked, stepping back from the group. "I would think that protecting them with sword and shield a better _demonstration_ than a dead flower in a jar."

"You can't do anything with it," Ruffnut complained. "It just sits on a shelf and doesn't move – what good is that? I mean, can you at least eat it?"

Johann frowned. "No."

Ruffnut groaned.

"Well, if you ladies don't want to buy it, I'm sure there's something else on my ship that would interest you," Johann huffed.

Astrid sighed. "How much for a hairpin?" she asked. "I'll buy one for my mother."

"What do you have for me?"

Astrid handed him an old piece of jewelry she never had interest of wearing – a heavy necklace she'd attempted to make years ago – and Johann pulled a thin whalebone hairpin from a nearby basket. Simple, to the point, Astrid took it and left the group with Ruffnut, stuffing the hairpin into her tunic pocket.

"I'm going for a flight," Astrid sighed, disappointed with the loot and distracted to give it a proper chance. She wasn't ready to talk to Hiccup, so she called her Nadder while Ruffnut found an interesting array of throwing knives, mischief painted all over her face. Astrid took off while Ruffnut sat at the front of the boat, playing with the knives.

"How expensive is it?" Tuffnut asked.

"That's something we can discuss," Johann replied, a smile pushing his moustache up to his nose. Tuffnut sighed and turned away, his chicken crowing at the sudden movement.

"I can't afford a 'discussion'," he complained. He went and sat with his sister while the rest of the men stared after him, an eyebrow raised each. But no one went to stop him, partially because it wouldn't result in anything productive. Snotlout returned to the conversation, eager and competitive.

"How much for it?" he asked.

Johann looked between the two of them, worry slowly creeping over his face.

"I only have one of them," he said warily.

"So tell me the price so I can buy it!" Snotlout whispered desperately. But Fishlegs sneered at him.

"What if _I_ wanted to buy it?" he asked.

"Because I need this to prove my love for – a certain someone –" Snotlout balled his hands into fists and asked Johann again for the price. But Fishlegs interrupted once more. Soon, a bidding war between the two of them erupted into ridiculous claims and half-assed insults, all of which didn't really relate to trade.

Finally, Johann raised a hand to shut the two of them up.

"I haven't even told you two the price, yet!" he cried. "And besides, what you two are bidding is no where near enough for this prized item!"

"Then what is?!"

When he named the price, both men dropped their jaws.

"I can't afford that!" Snotlout yelled. "That's – that's _way_ too much!"

"Yeah!" Fishlegs agreed. "No one in their right minds would pay that much!"

"I'm sorry, are you suggesting that your love is not worth the price of this _priceless_ item?" Johann asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"My love is worth anything!" Snotlout defended, thrusting a thumb at himself. "How dare you suggest otherwise!"

"Yeah, what he said!" Fishlegs cried.

"So you'll pay the price then?"

Fishlegs and Snotlout looked at each other. They grimaced, and looked back to Johann, determined to have that rose, no matter the cost.

* * *

Snotlout and Fishlegs sat across from each other, arms crossed and sneers flying between them. They had no idea where to start, their emotions ranging all over the map from anger to remorse to general discomfort. Between them stood their prized item: the rose they had both paid for with no expense spared.

"I can't believe I had to sacrifice my entire botany book collection for one flower," Fishlegs sighed sadly. "Millions of entries… one flower…"

"At least you won't have to deal with your dad once he finds out you traded his heirloom sword for it. Or half his winter clothing."

They glared at each other and looked to the Thorston house across the path.

"So let's get this plan straight," Fishlegs said. "We're going to leave this in the Thorston house –"

"– with this note I wrote with, if I may say, _impeccable_ penmanship –"

"Yeah, after I proofread and rewrote it for you," Fishlegs mumbled. "Twice."

"It doesn't change what it says," Snotlout argued. He opened the note and cleared his throat. He puffed his chest out like a Nadder and read it with as much articulation he was capable (which was a lot, in his not-so-humble opinion).

"'Dear Ruffnut, Here you shall find a most beautiful rose, in honour of my love to you. It is a symbol of love and passion, and I have both of these feelings for you. Look upon this flower, and you will think of me. Please find me after you read this note. Forever yours, your secret admirer. PS: I _may_ be a dragon rider.'"

Snotlout folded up the note and gave a sly grin. "It's the perfect plan."

"So when she reads it, she'll come looking for either of us. Whoever she seeks first is the winner," Fishlegs elaborated. "The loser has to back down and attend my wedding with her."

"What makes you think she'll go to _you_?" Snotlout asked, making it to his feet.

Fishlegs stood and perked up, his small bit of confidence blooming upon his face. "I have a funny feeling that everything is gonna work out just the way it should."

"Ugh. Don't come crawling to Ruffnut and I when your _feeling_ turns out to be a basket of pure wrong."

* * *

Tuffnut strolled into his house, kicking open the door while whistling a tune he made up on his walk back. He kicked off his boots and pulled the chicken from his head and stared at it lovingly. He tossed him onto the bed, a bundle of ruffled feathers and squawks that bounced twice before landing on its stick-like legs as if nothing just happened.

Tuffnut went to the fire pit, picking up a fire poker and twirling it in his hands. But he wasn't that adept at fire poker twirling, so it wasn't surprising when it cracked him in the side of face, rattling his already loose teeth. The chicken puffed up its feathers and clucked three times.

"What are you laughing at?" Tuffnut sneered. He shook his head clear of stars and thrust the poker into the dying embers. He stirred them, bored out of his mind, the only reason for him doing so to start the fire up again before his sister got home. Jokes aside, he hated being cold at night, so he always made sure the fire was stoked. That, and it was always helpful to their shenanigans when the twins needed fire. Here, they always knew they had some.

But the fire was deader than dead, so Tuffnut sucked through his teeth and looked around their disaster of a home for firewood. Of course, they didn't spare any of their Loki-worshipping time with mundane things like chopping wood, so he kicked an old chair into a few pieces and tossed that in.

The embers didn't find the chair enough for sustenance, so he scoured the room one more time for something a little more appetizing. He found a piece of parchment upon the table, folded neatly into an intricate and ridiculous shape. He flipped it in his hands, considered it for a moment, before he shrugged and tossed it into the fire. The embers lit around it, and spread to the smaller pieces of wood.

The firelight illuminated the room a little more. A small gleam of reflected light caught his eye. He jumped around, holding his hands up like talons.

"Fireworm!" he barked. But when he saw the rose in the glass jar, he dropped his hands. He timidly walked up to it. He got up close, smelling it, sceptical.

He verified that it wasn't a trick, and suddenly grew elated.

"I knew it, I knew things would turn out in my favour!"

He scooped up the jar and kissed it, looking up to the sky – or rather, his ceiling, but close enough – and thanked the gods. Then, he cleared his throat and turned around.

The chicken looked up at him, cocking his head side-to-side, unaware and unconcerned that Tuffnut placed the jar next to it, relaying a dramatic monologue about love, friendship, pranks, poultry, cliffs, amusement, and the disparity between left and right feet, though he eventually admitted that last bit was straying from the point.

* * *

Ruffnut struggled up the pathway, carrying her newly-acquired throwing knives along with a basket full of rope, porcupine quills, paint, and a bear trap on top, just in case. She was almost all the way up the hill before the bear trap teetered on top of the stuffed basket, threatening to fall on her foot. She tried to readjust, but overcompensated. Falling over, she cried out, her body twisting.

A pair of hands stopped her, pushing her upright onto her feet.

"Carry more than you can handle?" Astrid asked casually, adjusting Ruffnut's loot while Ruffnut caught her breath.

"Tuffnut left me at the boat," Ruffnut complained. "He said he'd be right back to help me, but he never did."

"Here, I'll help you."

Astrid grabbed the bear trap – not asking any questions – and slung it over her shoulder by the chain.

They went to the house. Ruffnut kicked open the door; it flew open and smacked into the wall next to it. They lugged in the items just as Tuffnut greeted them.

"Ah, I see you're here to pay your respects," he gloated, the chicken tucked under his arm.

"What?" Ruffnut scoffed. "What respect should I give _you_? You left me at the boat!"

"I'll have you know, it was for very good reason."

Astrid dropped the bear trap and helped Ruffnut put the basket down.

"Spill it," Ruffnut grunted, recovering from her squat and kicking the basket out of annoyance.

"I retrieved a sign from the gods," Tuffnut explained. "I have never been able to do this, but now I can. Behold!"

He dropped the chicken unceremoniously and grabbed the jar with the rose. The women both crossed their arms, bewildered.

"You actually _paid_ for that?" Astrid scoffed. "Really? A flower, in a jar?"

"What did you trade, all you brought was your dirty laundry!" Ruffnut noted.

"That's what I'm getting at!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "I didn't pay for it!"

"You _stole_ it?!" Astrid cried. "Are you crazy?!"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. But did I steal it? No! It was just here, on the table, when I got here!"

The women didn't look entirely impressed or convinced.

"We should bring that back to Johann," Astrid stated bluntly.

"You can't!" Tuffnut cried suddenly. "No, this – this is a symbol of my love, don't you get it?"

"To who?" Ruffnut asked, scrunching up her nose in genuine disbelief.

Astrid and Ruffnut waited for an answer. Tuffnut shifted uncomfortably before he bent down and picked up the chicken, holding it close to him while the chicken looked into the distance much like how any other brainless bird would.

Astrid's jaw dropped. "Are you _serious_?"

"I don't get it," said Ruffnut.

Her twin brother rolled his eyes. "Do I really have to explain it to you again?"

"Give it to me," Astrid said. "I'm taking it back to Johann."

"No you're not!" Tuffnut argued. "This is a token of my love!"

"You don't need a _token_ to show you love someone!" Astrid retorted. "Especially a stolen one."

"I didn't steal it!"

"Yeah, but someone else may have, and is planting it so you can take the blame."

"Duh," Ruffnut added, sort of agreeing.

"You can't take it from me," Tuffnut declared. "And you can't take it from my chicken, either."

Astrid groaned. She bit her lip and looked around. She tried to come up with an idea, playing with the hem of her tunic pocket. She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

"How much do you want for it?"

* * *

Hiccup left the blacksmith and made his way back up the hill towards his house. He slowed in front of the Hofferson house, but forced himself to continue.

He and Astrid weren't people who held grudges for long, but still. The fight they had that morning still bothered him, regret still tugging at his heart. He wanted to apologize for not giving her enough attention to hear her concerns about staying on Berk for too long, but Astrid was more the type of person who needed her space. He knew that once she felt better, she would talk to him. But… he hated the wait.

Almost at the top of the hill, he turned off the path to head into his house. Toothless was waiting inside for him; the sooner he got there, the sooner he'd get home to take him on a flight. Gobber had distracted him for most of the day, and they weren't returning to the Edge until the next day. They came all the way back to get items from Johann, but he would be returning empty-handed.

He walked into the Haddock house, rubbing his hands and humming to himself. He hadn't been home that often over the past couple of moons, so returning to his old bedroom felt strange. But he climbed up the stairs one at a time, his metal leg's spring finally silent thanks to the oil Gobber had given him. He made it to the top of the stairs, where Toothless greeted him with a gummy smile and a croak.

"Hey, bud."

"Hiccup?"

Hiccup stood upright, still rubbing the top of his Night Fury's head, and saw Astrid standing by the bed with an awkward expression painted over her face.

"Astrid, what you doing here?" Hiccup asked light-heartedly. "They're about to start dinner at the Meade Hall."

"I-I know," Astrid said, swallowing and looking to the side. "But I wanted to apologize for this morning."

Hiccup smiled and waved it off lightly, stepping around his dragon carefully. "That's okay, Astrid. It's in the past."

"No, really. I'm sorry," she repeated. "I made a huge scene in front of everyone. And I should have just told you outright that I wasn't frustrated by waiting here, but that we don't get enough time to ourselves. Not even a-as a couple, but even as friends. And I know that we've been really busy lately with Edge stuff and the Dragon Eye, but… I miss it, you know?"

Hiccup stayed quiet, staring at her with a respect that started years ago since he developed a crush on her. Which seemed like the beginning of time itself.

She remained there, waiting for him to say something.

"I was heading back to Johann's ship," she continued awkwardly, brushing her bangs out of her face with her fingers. "There was a miscommunication, followed by some really, _really_ weird confessions at the Thorston house, and the loss of a hairpin, but… umm…"

She turned around and grabbed something from the bed. She turned around and held it out to Hiccup, her lower lip trapped between her teeth out of nervousness.

"I was bringing this back, but-but I turned around at the last minute. Johann isn't leaving until tomorrow so I thought it was be okay if I kept this, just for the night. I-I know it's sort of… temporary, but I thought…"

Hiccup, entranced by the item in her hands, looked up at her for a fleeting moment.

"It's a rose," she blurted. "A flower from far away; it doesn't grow here. But apparently it's a – well, it's _supposed_ to be – a symbol of love and friendship, and I know I'm not very good at making things or showing my feelings very well at times, but I wanted you know that I care. So here."

She pushed the jar into Hiccup's hands, her cheeks flushing red and her eyes unable to linger on his. She grabbed one of her elbows with her hand and twisted her mouth.

Hiccup stared at the flower in the jar, stunned. It was beautifully bizarre. The stem, covered in thick barbs like Terrible Terror teeth, protruded from the faded green, threatening to draw blood. And the blood-red colour of the petals, healthy like a youthful pair of lips delicately painted in red ochre, made him yearn for the same colour to paint with. The two leaves, suspended in the preserved air within the jar, remained frozen, like a moment in time stopped.

And as he stared at the rose, he picked up on the quirky coincidences, the alluding metaphor Astrid had accidentally stumbled upon. The rose reminded him so much of his relationship to her – from the thorns to the gentle kiss of her lips – that he almost couldn't believe it was real, exasperated by the fact that she had given it to him out of nowhere.

He set the jar down on his nightstand and grabbed her hands, pulling them up to his mouth where he could kiss her fingers. She sighed in relief as they wrapped their arms around each other. Suddenly thankful they had an extra night on Berk to themselves, which was what caused the whole ordeal in the first place, they started a brand new conversation that lasted long into the night full of laughter and innocent intimacy, all thanks to – as Astrid called it – a dead flower in a jar.


End file.
